Comments on Daniel Elazar, political geography and political science

Abstract

Notions of territory and space have become more common in the writings of political scientists in recent years. Notwithstanding, there is a tendency not to cite the works of political geographers. Due to the power asymetry within the social sciences, political geographers have a greater need to publish within political science journals and to cite the works of political scientists than the reverse. Notwithstanding, much of the political science work on territory is quantitative and descriptive as contrasted with the conceptual advances which have been made within political geography. There is room for increased cross-disciplinary dialogue between the disciplines and a need to understand territory as a dynamic factor in its own right, rather than simply as a special compartment within which political dynamics take place.